Operation Belle Isle 27th - 28th January 1945

http://www.onceamarinealwaysamarine.co.uk/belleisle45.htm

It is 66 years since this raid took place. The link above gives detail of the action that involved 45RM Commando.

In Memory of the following Commandos from No. 45 R.M. Commando., Royal Marines, who were killed in this action and are remembered with honour at Nederweert War Cemetery.

Lieutenant Peter Stanley Winston, age 20;
Corporal John Joseph Duchan , age 27;
Corporal James Hardie Laing, age 21;
Lance Corporal Herbert McNulty, age 33;
Marine C. Mosley, age 22;
Marine William Purvis, age 27;
Marine Dennis Percy Sweet, age 19;
Marine Robert Leonard Symes;
Marine John Robert Timmins, age 27;
Marine Frank Wild, age 32.

We will remember them

Some twenty or so years ago, I met Alan Tate in a professional capacity. By then he was a senior partner in Healey & Baker, a major firm of chartered surveyors in London, and an extremely distinguished town planner in his own right. After I had coaxed out of him an account of how he won his MC at Belle Isle, we became friends. He was as modest as he was amusing. Alan was the only person I ever encountered who had commissioned a cycle rack for the roof of a Jaguar XJS!

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 09/04/2018 11:14:51

A 1 Cdo Brigade post-action battle report covering Operation Belle Isle is available over on WW2Talk.

Link to image (via image hosting site) ...
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/fL3PrU.jpg

Actual image (sorry, I don't know how to resize for a better fit!) ...

Link to the topic, which is only tangentially about this Op. ...
http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/possible-help-with-identifying-commando-ssi.68744/

The Order of Service for the Peace Thanksgiving Service in May 1945 (shown in the topic) has the names of the Fallen from Operation Belle Isle boxed in pencil, so the Op obviously meant a great deal to Marine Bill Eddy.

Mark